Back-to-school
shopping is a fun way to get kids excited about a new school year. But
buying too much in one shot can be a budget-buster for families and a stress
trigger for children.
So it is suggested in the best interest
of students and parents to research
before making purchases two months earlier from the date school reopens. It softens
the blow to your wallet and ensures that you buy only what your child
really requires for their schooling.
Following are the tips to save money and reduce the stress of back-to-school
shopping.
Before even thinking about buying
more school
supplies, you have to figure out two things: what you need, and what you already
have. Tackle what you need first; book
shops, stationery
stores and school. Further, e-commerce
websites often give you list or suggest required
student materials. Then, with lists in hand, scour the house to figure out
which supplies you already own and what you have to buy now.

Other tips to ease the pain of buying
school supplies:
Shop Early: Most of the stores and web portals in the
beginning of the school sessions offer Back-to-school
products at discounted cost and sometimes in form of combo
packs to entice shoppers into
stores. Pick up those items you know you’ll need (lined
notebooks, paper,
pencils,
crayons,
folders,
etc.), and the money you save can go toward bigger budget items.
Buy for whole year: Kids are not
responsible like you. They keep missing their pencils,
sharpeners
and erasers
so often in their schools. So it is better idea to buy some extra
pieces, preferably in packs,
so that you need not run to the stationery
shops late in the evening after spending whole tiring day in office/ at
home.
Involve
your Kids while making List for Purchases: Let your child
choose a few inexpensive items you know he’ll need, as well as a new lunch
box and backpack
if last year’s models just won’t do. To save time and money, consider picking
up the rest of the items on the school
supply list without your child.
Check for the best prices and Discounts: When you have done whole
of your budgeting and listing of the items you have to buy for your kids,
research on the websites, you might
find it more beneficial, as shopping online will help you save
both money and time than to hop into the local school
supply stores. As generally in the beginning of academic year these local
stores run short in supply of many articles, mostly books
and you have no other option to wait till they bring in the new stock. But when
you shop online it is not the case
in general. You can flip to another website if one store or website is running
out of stock with some particular
books or items
you intend to buy. And most often you get the best discounts
on online stores.

Two
months in: Create a homework
station and stock it with the necessary
supplies. Consider a laminated homework schedule with built-in breaks. Make
the station an inspirational place for your child, reflective of his
personality.
